The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1887-05-21
.NORAH, AN IRISH HEROINE.

-.,irl Of ours. She was fashioned on q
general scale, and her movements were
hll of grace.
Smith, our artist friend, spoke of her
IS our nursery goodness, and surrepti-
iously introduced her into number of
Ms sketches
Her disposition was very amiable,
md she behaved in a sweet, modest way
what quite won our hearts.
She never flirted in the park, never
~gled, simpered or invany way acted
&lie part of the female fool. She car
lied herself with gentle dignity befit-
ing u queen, so that it would have
'cen thoroughly worthless person who
would have dared offer her any insult.
Among others, the grocer's young
~nan, a prom sing, wide-awake youth,
, would fain have been devotee at her
.;hrine, but she promptly refused to
'sSccp his company.
81 cannot love him, ma'am," she
''!aid with frank confidence. "In truth,
! do not think ! shall ever care to
narry. will tell you why"
AS TO general facts, was conversant
With her history, but f.any romance in
acr life ] was ignorant. T knew she
vas Irish born and bred, one of the
,easantry in an over-crowdcd portion
"'f Ireland where land troubles were
PREVALENT, and nature not always a
'cneficcnt mother, for they had fire.
,iuent wet seasons when the 'fsmall
patches" failed and famine was wont
% stalk unpleasantly near. She pictur-
I'd vividly their small cabin--the one
big room with its mud floor and the
surf fire smouldering in the chimney,
The pot Of stirabout hanging on the
crane, tho children's mother standing
IN Tow On the white-scoured table, the
ducks and chickens cackling about the
;ioor; the father, slack, easy-going,
smoking his pipe in the sun; the mother,
The stay of the family, busy spinning.
There were seven children of them;
Norah, the oldest; then Larry, Stephen,
Ailccn, Mickey and the two babies,
Mary and Ellen Bawn. Larry herded
Patsy Quinn's cattle; he was sober
lad, thoughtful, observant, looking
+ ,ongingly over to America rs the only
door TO prosperity to poor, down-trod-
den peasants like themselves.
The rest were all bright, promising
children, with the exception Of Mickey,
who was poor, unfortunate imbecilc,
with big head and slavering mouth, q
,rcat'"c ono could pity but not love.
WI j. Norah was twelve her mother
hlcd, and her father, his prop gone, fell
"'tnto more shiftless ways than ever. He
siook a drop too much, the stock dwind-
',lcd, the rent was behindhand-he ran
"ur long scores at the town and it was
only because Of the energy Of the older
children that they managed to live.
They cared for the COW and the sheep
hocd ana dug the potatoes, and kept
things going.
When Larry was fifteen he went to
America, and two years after sent over
Thardly and bravely-earned passage
money FOR Stephen. A year later both
boys sent over for their sister, Aileen,
. so that the family in Ireland had dwin-
; tllcd to Norah, Mickey, Mary and Ellen
fBawn. ID,
But for them came harder times than
ever; the father lost heart entirely and
4died of a low fever, tho two little girls
followed him, and there was only Norah
land Mickey left. And here comes in
Norah's love story. ST will tell you o
#bit about Owney, Jemmey Delaney's
hoy, ma'am," she said, a beautiful
%blush suffusing her soft cheeks. '.Jem-
,tmey was a Canney farmer-he had a
farm of forty acres, good stock, and a
big cabin, and his home was kept by his
sister Katy, for he was a widower.
ellis heart was set on his Owney, as
well it might be, for Owney was the
ahandsomest, blithest young man in the
country. who could have had the pick
of all the girls around for wife; but,
strange enough, ma'am, 1t was me,
without fortune, that he loved and
,courted, and Jemmey Delaney. said he
was wiling, for [ would make Owney a
likely wife. But said, Owney, though
J. love you with all my heart, cannot
make it right to leave father and the
poor children" =
And he said: ''It is for you / am
willing to wait, N Norah, for you are the
sanly woman for me in all Ireland. y
And 50 he waited patiently, but after
poor father and the little were dead
and buried he came and says: 'Norah.
my darling, ! want my wife now. ~